Hi, my name is Sarah Curtiss.  I am currently pursuing my PhD at the University of Illinois in Human Development and Family Studies and am the person behind the Birds and the Bees asdsex.org. I support individuals with developmental disabilities in learning about human sexuality and conduct research in this field.

This website is designed to provide information to parents, professionals, and self-advocates on how to teach human sexuality to individuals with special needs with a focus on Autism Spectrum Disorders.  It also is a great source for resources in this area.

A little bit about my background, before coming to UIUC I worked at the Developmental Services Center in Champaign, Illinois.  While at DSC, I chaired the sexuality resource committee and received training in sexuality education for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities from the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts.  For six years, I provided individual sexuality education, trained sexuality educators, and consulted on the special needs of individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities in regards to sexuality.  I have also worked as a liaison with the Office of Inspector General and Rape Crisis Services to identify, report, investigate, and prevent  abuse and neglect.

I’m currently working on research that examines how to best train instructors to teach sexuality topics.  I also teach human sexuality classes at The Autism Program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Feel free to contact me with any questions  curtiss5@illinois.edu